‘Shine a Light’ on a local volunteer - Kate Gallagher, Repton Rags, South Derbyshire.

Every day of the 70 day ‘Shine a Light’ relay, each area of the country is celebrating the efforts of a local volunteer who has helped bring the Olympic spirit to life.

Derbyshire’s ‘Shine a Light’ nominee is 17 year old Kate Gallagher, who lives in Repton, and goes to John Port School, was nominated by Julie Groom, leader of Repton Rags Youth Group, for her outstanding volunteer work.

The group organizes games, sports and activities for youngsters from 8-14 years old on Friday evenings, and was set up by local people, supported by South Derbyshire District Council and their Village Games Co-ordinator.

On Friday Kate was presented with a Community Games commemorative certificate and sweater at Repton Rags and will be attending a celebration at London’s Olympic Park on July 27th (a year after the Opening Ceremony).

To celebrate Derbyshire’s ‘Shine a Light’ Day, the Derbyshire Village Games team will be running family-friendly sports and craft activities with children making mini Olympic torches alongside the annual fun run, junior and senior fell races that attract nearly 300 runners.

A ‘Summer of Fun’ – grants for sporting and cultural events across the county.

Celebrations will continue throughout the summer with support available for local groups to run sporting and cultural events, including grants of up to £250 from the Derbyshire Event Fund as well as event packs, with certificates, banners and bunting to help organisers put that extra pizzazz into fetes, carnivals, Village Games days and family fun days.

Kate Gallagher, who attended the South Derbyshire Village Games Youth Olympics last month with Repton Rags Youth Group, said: “I helped them to get ready for each race and cheered them on. The event was a really good day, and the kids got to get together and be a team”.

“I feel very proud for being nominated for this award, and I'm so pleased and happy with what Julie wrote about me. I think Repton rags has improved my confidence a lot and has given me the chance to improve and develop my communication skills with both adults and children. I think Rags is a really good group, I think it has brought younger children together more, it's allowed them to make new friendship groups in Repton”.

Julie Groom, leader of Repton Rags Youth Group, said: “Kate is a very dedicated volunteer, who can always be relied upon to turn up provide great activities for the young people, offer friendship and help to keep Repton Rags going for all the young people”.

Hannah Barradell-Smith, Sport and Health Partnership Manager at South Derbyshire District Council said: “Kate deserves to be congratulated and recognised for her work with Repton Rags. This is a great example of how young volunteers are engaging in activities in their own villages for the wider benefit their local communities whilst at the same time gaining valuable skills and experience. It also shows how Village Games working in partnership with councils like South Derbyshire can help the development of local groups.”

Hayley Lever, Project Manager at Derbyshire Village Games, said, “Congratulations to Kate for all her hard work. It’s great to see a young person giving so much back to their local community. I was lucky enough to be a Games Maker last summer and am really excited that Kate will have the chance to celebrate the amazing Opening Ceremony a year on down at the Olympic Park in London”.

David Moorcroft, Olympian and Community Games Ambassador, said, “Community Games is a great way of bring the whole community together for a fun day out to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It’s great that Derbyshire are supporting local Community Games organisers in this way, and I’m really pleased that people across the county are joining up with more than 1 million people across the country to take part in Community Games this year.”

ENDS

For more information, contact Lissa Cook on 07818 411 791 or lissa@communitysportstrust.co.uk

• Repton Rags sessions are on Fridays from 6.30-8pm at The Den, Mitre Fields, Repton. For more information about Repton Rags contact Julie on 07974 998 852.
• Hope Wakes Kids’ Fun Run starts at 6.30pm, the Junior Fell Race starts at 6.45pm and the senior race at 7.30pm with prizes from RAB & Outside. You can register in advance for the fell race here: http://www.hopefellrace.co.uk/ or on the night from 6pm. Family sport and craft activities take place throughout.
• For media enquiries about the Community Sports Trust please call Lissa Cook on 07818 411 791 or lissa@communitysportstrust.co.uk
• For media enquiries about Community Games email Angela Lewis at angela@coussins.co.uk
• The Community Sports Trust (www.communitysportstrust.co.uk) is a not for profit Community Interest Company. Our vision is of communities where people of all ages and interests take part and compete in sport and recreation opportunities. Communities will have strong sustainable sports infrastructure with high quality volunteers, coaches and leaders.
• The Community Sports Trust manages community-based sports development projects. Our flagship initiative is the Derbyshire Village Games. Inspired by the 2012 Olympics, this innovative project’s aim is simple - we want people of all ages and abilities in villages across the county to get active. Our network of Village Games Co-ordinators work at grassroots level delivering sport on the doorstep.
• We work alongside community associations, sports organisations, local councils and funding bodies as well as private companies to develop ground-breaking new partnerships. We are a partner of Derbyshire Sport and our team of coordinators work in partnership with Derbyshire County Council, NHS Derbyshire County, High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, NE Derbyshire District Council, Bolsover District Council, Erewash Borough Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and South Derbyshire District Council. Sport England and the National Lottery are key partners and funders of the Derbyshire Village Games and JOG Derbyshire.
• For more information contact Hayley Lever at Community Sports Trust PO Box 43, High Peak, SK23 6ZU. 07947 897015. Email: info@communitysportstrust.co.uk